Out of the Dark
by Lyra Raven
Summary: The third Loki/Lyra installment, this story follows the plot of Thor: The Dark World. Leya has returned to work with Jane when an ancient, malevolent force brings both women to Asgard. Caught in another fight for the universe and closer than ever to her past, Leya struggles to handle her growing feelings for Loki as old memories resurface. Is history repeating itself inevitable?
1. Chapter 1

**Out of the Dark**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own or pretend to have ownership of any Marvel characters, quotes, plot lines, etc.**_

 _Hello Everyone! First of all, it has been far too long since I posted anything completely new. Second of all, I am not yet finished revising "Loki" and "The Avenged." HOWEVER I have had this fanfic planned and written pretty much since I posted my first chapter of Loki. I just watched the new teaser trailer for_ _Thor: Ragnarok_ _(who else is soooo excited for November?!), and although I haven't completely figured out the ending for this story (I'll have to see where Ragnarok goes before I decide), it motivated me to post just a taste of this third installment (also because I know some who have read my previous stories wanted a continuation). You won't likely be seeing much more of this fanfic for a while longer, but without further ado, here is the first chapter of_ _Out of the Dark_ _._

 **Chapter 1  
** Three years. Three years, two dates, and one college degree later. The years had felt long, the two dates had both been unsuccessful, and really the only good thing that had come out of the past 36 months was Leya's college degree because now people took her seriously. Of course, Jane and Erik had always taken her seriously. That, at least, hadn't changed.

For the past three years, Leya had been working with Jane and Erik again. Leya was glad to be back with them. It was good to be in the company of friends, with people who knew her rather than strangers she had to put up a normal, cheery face for.

Leya had tried going on a couple dates at Jane's urging. Personally, Leya wasn't sure either of them were in a very good position to give relationship advice, considering the fact that they were both stuck on Earth waiting for a couple Norse gods to fly back down to them. But Leya had humored Jane, and in her defense, Jane had gone on a few as well. To Leya's surprise, she had actually met someone she genuinely liked. His name was James, he was a nice, polite, decent, and distinctly normal.

Well, normal is relative, but what she meant was he lived a regular life. He had a job, he had good days and bad days, sometimes he missed his train, sometimes his favorite football team won their game. He was a nice guy, and he liked Leya. She could tell. And something in her wanted to open up to him, too, to leave her past behind. Maybe she could live a regular life with him. But of course, she couldn't. Something always stopped her. Always the same thing – Loki. So as much as she liked James as a person, Leya knew she would never be able to fall in love with him. Jane's series of dates also failed, rather spectacularly, and eventually both women just stopped trying.

They were living in London. Leya had completed her junior and senior year at a good university there and was now 24 years old. Leya had to admit she loved the city. She had a little apartment – sorry, _flat_ – near Jane's lab, just a few blocks away from the Tower of London. It was a wonderful lab, at least five times the size of Jane's old one in the U.S., complete with a storage room, a back room with contained cots and emergency supplies, more lab equipment than they could dream up, and even roof access, perfect for stargazing.

Jane still had the waver that had played such a prominent role when they'd first found Thor, but it had been three years since the device had picked up anything notable. It seemed the most interesting occurrences around the lab building were the occasional power surges in neighboring high-rises that resulted in power outages for the entire block. But still, Leya couldn't complain. Leya and Jane grew close, more like sisters than colleagues, Erik was, well, still Erik, and they'd even gained a new team member; an intern named Ian. He was enthusiastic, for sure, but. . . still learning, let's leave it at that.

One morning, Leya awoke with an unreasonably good feeling about the day. _Stupid_ she thought to herself, shaking her head, _when has anything particularly good come from you 'having a feeling'?_ But then, _no, you mustn't think that way. . . you've had plenty of good in your life. Your adoptive parents, and of course you friends! Jane and Erik, Thor too, and. . . there's Loki, I suppose._

Leya shut her eyes as she exhaled and fell back against her pillows. This time she hadn't bothered trying to forget Loki. Not because Leya necessarily believed she would see Loki again, it would be foolish to believe anything Loki said – he wasn't exactly good at keeping promises – but because she knew it would be a futile endeavor to ever try to forget him. _And you know he isn't dead this time_. Loki always seemed to be with her, like some sort of invisible cloud, ever since he'd flown off with Thor back to Asgard. She'd felt his presence the moment she'd stepped off the plane in the London airport, when she'd entered Jane's new lab, when she'd hurried out of the café after her first date with James, and even as she'd walked down the aisle at graduation.

Yawning, Leya tossed aside the covers, as well as her thoughts, and got up. As per usual, she turned on her coffeepot, but instead of turning on the news, Leya checked her email. Several emails were from acquaintances she'd made in London, a few spam advertisements, but nothing notably important or conspicuous. Just as Leya logged off of her laptop, she heard her phone buzz. Leya picked it up to find a text message from Jane.

 _Waver picked up something, Ian and I heading to check it out. Meet us here:_ The message read, followed by an address. Leya quickly gulped down her coffee and got dressed. On a strange whim, Leya decided to bring her dagger as well. She quickly slipped it into her boot as she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

Leya followed the address Jane had given her and pulled up at a large concrete building, an abandoned storage warehouse or something. Leya recognized their black van that had served as base camp on many research trips, the lone vehicle in the empty lot. She parked next to it, then got out of her car and walked inside. The inside of the building was just as dark and empty as the outside looked, except the inside harbored a dank, moldy smell that permeated throughout the building. Leya walked around until she came to a large open area, perhaps an area where trucks would have come in to load up. She saw Jane, Ian, and a few kids, probably middle school age. Leya followed their gazes as she walked over to them, then stopped in awe as she saw what they were watching. In the middle of the room was a giant semi-truck floating upside down in the air. _Oh my god. . ._

"Is this what the waver picked up?" Leya asked Jane, whispering. For some reason, the situation felt like it warranted hushed tones.

Jane shook her head without turning to look at Leya, "No, but it sure is cool." Ian nodded enthusiastically in agreement. After several more minutes, Leya broke the silence again.

"Well, we should go looking for what the waver picked up," she prompted, "it's probably related."

Jane appeared to snap back to reality.

"Of course," she agreed and handed Leya the waver. But just then, one of the kids said, "Wait, we have something else to show you." Jane hesitated and looked at Leya. Leya sighed, then nodded, and they followed the kids.

The kids lead them to a dim, dusty stairwell, the concrete stairs twisting up and down the height of the building. They walked up several floors, then one of the boys stopped and dropped an empty soda bottle down the middle of the stairwell. The bottle fell a couple floors, then suddenly vanished with a subtle vacuum-like sound. As if that wasn't startling enough, the bottle reappeared a few floors above them and fell down into the boy's waiting hands.

Jane, Leya, and Ian stood in startled silence. The kids had evidently gotten used to the strange phenomenon and were now tossing other things down the stairway; little rocks, candy wrappers, and even a shoe. Ian, quite taken with the spectacle, decided he wanted to join in. So he took something out of pocket and tossed it down the stairway. Everyone waited, but the thing didn't reappear above them.

"Sometimes, things don't come back," one of the girls said, sounding more ominous than she probably intended.

"Ian," Jane began, "Were – were those the car keys?"

"Um. . ." Ian said with a guilty look on his face. The kids suppressed laughter, and Leya couldn't help a small smile.

Just then, Leya heard the waver squeal. She looked down at it and saw the needle swinging violently back and forth. Leya turned in a circle and stopped in the direction the waver was showing the highest reading. Jane walked over to her, and they both looked ahead. The readings seemed to be coming from somewhere down a long, dark hallway. The two women glanced at each other, then took a deep breath and walked forward a little. Suddenly, the waver spiked and hit maximum. Jane gave a shout, and Leya looked up just as Jane was knocked to the ground and some invisible force start pulling her down the hallway.

"Jane!" Leya shouted and started running after her. But the thing pulling Jane was too fast, and Leya couldn't hardly see a foot in front of her down the hallway. Jane was swallowed up into the dark, and Leya stopped running. Leya watched at the waver as she walked back to Ian, but the instrument was silent and motionless. Leya wasn't sure if it made her feel better or worse.

"Come on, let's get out of here," she said to Ian, "This place gives me the creeps."

"But, what about Jane?" Ian asked as he scrambled after her.

"Don't worry, we'll get her out. But we'll need flashlights," Leya replied.

The two walked back to Leya's car – thankfully, she hadn't thrown her car keys down the stairway – where Leya pulled out two heavy-duty flashlights from the trunk. Leya tossed one at Ian, who almost dropped it, then the two reentered the building.

Leya and Ian searched the entire building, but found nothing. Down the hallway Jane had been pulled into, the two only found a dead end. Frustrated and tired after hours of searching, the two exited the building and sat in Leya's car while they rested. Leya gave Erik a call, but it went to voicemail.

"Hey, Erik, I'm not sure where you've been all day, but Jane's in trouble and I think you'd better meet us," Leya said, then read out the address of the building.

"Oh. . ." Ian said as Leya hung up the phone.

"What?" Leya asked. Ian handed Leya his phone, which was streaming live news footage from Stonehenge.

And there was Erik, running around naked amongst the stones, ranting about planetary alignment and celestial activity. Essentially, spouting their research in the middle of a historical monument.

"You've got to be kidding me," Leya said in disbelief as she watched two police officers grab his arms and force him into a police car. Erik had attracted quite a scene of tourists and reporters alike. Leya sighed and handed the phone back to Ian.

"I guess we know where we'll find Erik," she sighed as she pulled out of the parking lot.


	2. Chapter 2

_All right so it's been a long time. . . I figured I'd better get back to this. And to be honest I have_ _ **missed**_ _it :D Here's Chapter 2. . ._

 **Chapter 2**

"What the hell were you thinking?" Leya reprimanded Erik as a police officer escorted them out of the station. As she spoke, Leya suddenly remembered a scene several years ago when Jane had said something quite similar to Leya after getting her and Thor out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. That made Leya think of Coulson, which of course made her sad. Leya shook her head to clear it, then refocused on Erik. To his credit, Erik had the decency to look sheepish as he climbed into the backseat of Leya's car.

Leya drove them all back to the lab where Erik got a change of clothes. Leya explained what had happened to Jane, then the three of them got back into her car and drove back to the concrete building. By the time they arrived, it had started pouring. Leya inhaled sharply as they pulled into the parking lot. Then she noticed a couple police cars were parked in the lot.

"As if this day couldn't get any worse," she muttered under her breath. A particularly sour-looking officer walked up to the car as Leya parked. Leya, Erik, and Ian got out of the car.

"Hello, Officer," Leya said in a tight voice, giving the policeman a strained smile, "What can I do for you?"

"Is this yours?" the police officer asked, jabbing a finger at their black van.

"Yes. . ." Leya said slowly.

"Well, it's parked illegally, so we're going to fine you, give you a citation, and tow the van," the officer declared. Leya could swear he sounded gleeful as he pulled out a notepad.

Ordinarily, Leya would have been irritated and spat something clever back at him, but just then she saw Jane walk out of the concrete building looking rather dazed. Jane zeroed in on Leya and saw the police officers. Leya pushed past the officer and walked to Jane. Suddenly, Leya stopped walking a couple feet away from Jane as she realized it was pouring everywhere except in a perfect, three-foot-radius circle around Jane, who was completely dry.

 _What the hell. . ._

"You called the police?!" Jane exclaimed, "I was gone for ten minutes!"

"Uh, no, you were gone for over five hours. And we didn't call the police, they showed up since, thanks to Ian, we had to leave the van here," Leya shot back, then "what is this?" Leya gestured at the dry circle around Jane. Jane looked around, apparently noticing it for the first time.

"I don't know," Jane murmured. Suddenly, the waver, which Leya had taken out of the car, spiked again.  
"Hey – " Leya started, but stopped when she noticed Jane looking past her at something else.

Leya turned to follow her gaze and saw, much to her astonishment, Thor, standing fully-clad in armor, Mjolnir held in his fist. A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating him, followed by a clap of thunder. _So that's why its pouring. Thanks, Thor_.

Jane stared for a long minute, then started walking toward him, taking her protective dry-circle with her and leaving Leya standing in the rain. _Rude_ Leya thought, then smirked in spite of herself and followed Jane. Thor walked toward Jane too, and Leya half-expected Thor to dramatically sweep Jane off her feet and kiss her in a romantic, Hollywood-esque scene, but the two just stood facing each other.

"Jane –" Thor began, but was cut off as Jane slapped him hard on one side of his face. Leya hid a smile. _Well, I can't say I'd have handled that any differently,_ She thought.

"Sorry," Jane stated, taking a deep breath, "It's been a weird day."

"I – " Thor began again, but was again cut off as Jane slapped him again.

"You were in New York! I saw you on the news! You were in New York, and you never told me!" Jane exclaimed.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Thor told her, massaging his face, "But right now we have bigger problems to worry about. Where were you? Heimdall couldn't see you. Hello, Leya, by the way, good to see you," Thor added. Leya smiled.

"I was here, right here stuck on this planet, where you left me," Jane replied, still a bit angry. Just then, the cranky police officer approached them.

"Ma'am, we need to get your contact information so we can send you the bill for towing, as well as the fine and citation," the officer pestered Jane.

"Can't you see we're busy here?" Jane snapped at him.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to arrest you," the officer said shortly. He put his hand firmly on Jane's shoulder.

Everything suddenly happened very quickly. Jane threw his arm off, and a giant, inky red-and-black ball of something exploded around her, throwing everyone to the ground. Leya and Thor scrambled to their feet and quickly ran to Jane, who had collapsed. The police officers quickly turned tail and ran to their cars, tires screeching as they pulled out of the parking lot. _Well, at least that problem's taken care of_ Leya thought as she helped Jane up.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Jane nodded, but her body didn't seem to agree, and Jane nearly fell over again.

"We need to get help, but I'm afraid nothing on Earth will do any good. We need to go to Asgard – that will be the best place," Thor spoke grimly, "Can you stand?"

Jane nodded again, but her knees gave out when she tried to stand. Leya caught her and supported Jane as she stood.  
"I'm coming with you," Leya stated, looking at Thor defiantly as if daring him to object. Thor considered her for a moment, then nodded and put his arm around Jane to support her as well.

Remembering Erik and Ian, Leya turned and threw her car keys to them.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Take care of yourselves, and don't lose my car keys!" she shouted as Thor spun his hammer and shot them off the face of the Earth.


	3. Chapter 3

_IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG. I don't know if anyone is actually reading this story anymore, but if you have been waiting, I apologize. But I'm back! I'm again not making any promises on regular updating, but I swear I'll do my best. Thor Ragnarok finally came out (months ago, I know), and I am so excited to continue this story now that I finally have a direction. All right, I'll leave you to this chapter. Thank you!_

 **Chapter 3**

Jane, Thor, and Leya landed on the Rainbow Bridge, which Leya of course recognized. She was momentarily thrown off-guard by a sudden wave of nostalgia, remembering the circumstances of her previous visit. But something was different. Leya looked around as Thor helped Jane to her feet again, and she realized what was out of place – the Bifrost was gone. Instead of the lovely golden dome, the end of the Rainbow Bridge was splintered and shattered, leading out into nothing but empty space.

"What happened?" Leya asked, gesturing at the destruction.

"I had to destroy the Bifrost before it destroyed Asgard and the Frost Giants," Thor told her.

"Oh," was all Leya said in reply. She joined Thor and helped support Jane as they headed toward the city.

They brought Jane into the palace, where she was immediately whisked away by people Leya could only assume were doctors of some sort.Thor and Leya followed them to a dim room in the back of the palace, and then King Odin joined them. Leya, surprised and somewhat intimidated, made sure she stood on the other side of Thor, keeping him between her and the King. Despite him being Thor's father, Leya was not expecting any warm-and-fuzzy feelings from Odin, and she was right. Quite frankly, Odin made Leya nervous – not scared, very little could make Leya scared, just wary. This was the man who lied to Loki about his heritage, the man who, at this point, probably knew about Leya through either Loki or Thor, or some other avenue, some darker one that Leya had tried to leave behind. _Best to tread carefully,_ Leya decided.

"How is she?" Thor asked the medics. They had laid Jane down on a sort of table that looked plain and frankly uncomfortable. Then one of them did something, and a network of golden dust was floating above Jane.

"Wow," Jane breathed. She lifted a finger and poked at it.

"It is nothing we've seen before, certainly not of Earth, but also not of Asgard," one of the medics told Thor after examining the dust, "We believe it would be best for her to stay here until we figure out what it is and how it will affect her."

Suddenly, the golden dust lines turned dark, blood-red, and the room took on an eerie atmosphere. A collective, inaudible gasp filled the room, and Leya noticed Odin's brow furrow. Abruptly, the dust was back to golden. Everyone stayed frozen for a moment before uneasily resuming their work. _What was that?_ Leya wondered, unsettled.

Out of the corner of her eye, Leya saw Odin pull Thor aside. Thor returned to Leya momentarily.  
"I'll be right back," Thor told Jane, then turned took Leya's arm and lead her out of the room.

"I assume you'll remain here as long as Jane does?" Thor asked her.

"Yes, of course," Leya replied without hesitating.

"Then we'll put you up in a palace room. Follow me," Thor said. The two walked in silence for a while.

Then Leya asked, "Thor, what's wrong with Jane?"

Thor hesitated, "My father has told me it is called the aether, an ancient substance. It was used and controlled by Malekith the Accursed, King of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim," Thor replied.

"But what does it do, and how do we get it out of her?" Leya persisted, ignoring the shiver that coursed through her body upon hearing the name "Svartalfheim."

"It is a weapon, but it is also living in a sense. It needs a host body, and I suppose Jane was readily available. I do not know how to rid her of it, but I hope we can find a way quickly," Thor replied. By then, Thor and Leya had arrived at her room, a room grander and larger than anything she'd ever stayed in.

"And this is just a guest room?" Leya said in awe.

Thor smiled, "You can stay in here if you like, but feel free to wander around. I'll come back in a few hours." Leya nodded, and Thor exited the room. It seemed rather strange to see Thor here, like a zoo animal returned to his natural habitat. He didn't look so huge and out-of-place here as he did on Earth.

After trying to get used to having so much space, Leya finally gave up and decided she would take a walk around the palace. The Asgardians' clothing and architecture made her feel as if she'd gone back centuries, yet the Asgardians' technology was far beyond anything on Earth.

The palace was a magnificent building filled with golden archways and giant columns holding up the curved ceilings. Intricate tapestries, paintings, and fragrant arrangements of flowers and fruits adorned every window and hallway. Somewhat awestruck, Leya wasn't paying attention and ran into someone as she rounded a corner.

"I'm so sorry!" Leya apologized.

"Leya?" the dark-haired woman she'd run into asked.

Leya's eyes widened in surprise, "Sif! It's good to see you."

"And you as well! What are you doing on Asgard?" Lady Sif asked her.

"Jane, she needed to come here for. . . medical treatment," Leya said.

"I see," Sif said, her expression seeming to battle between happy and crestfallen.

 _Ah yes, she likes Thor too. . ._ Feeling suddenly awkward, Leya cleared her throat, "So how have you been?"

Sif opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly straightened and focused on something behind Leya. Leya turned around to find herself face to face with a woman dressed in a silky, sky blue dress with golden embroidery. She had very long, curled blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and held herself with a regal and elegant air.

Lady Sif bowed, "Your majesty." Leya quickly bowed as well, deciding politeness would be the safest choice in this situation.

"Oh please, Sif, you needn't be so formal," the woman said gently.

"Of course. My lady, this is Leya Rivers. She came here with Thor and the Earth woman, Jane," Sif introduced her.

The woman turned her piercing eyes on Leya, and Leya couldn't help but feel small. ' _Your majesty'. . . She must be Frigga, Odin's queen! Thor and . . . Loki's mother. . ._ What had Thor – or Sif for that matter – told Frigga?

But to her surprise, Frigga greeted Leya with just as much warmth as she'd shown Sif.

"It is wonderful to meet you at last, Leya Rivers. My son has spoken highly of you, he mentions you often," Frigga smiled.

"Thank you, it is an honor to meet you, My lady," Leya replied.

Frigga smiled, "Well, I'll leave you two young ladies to your own devices." Sif bowed again, and Leya copied her. Frigga swept past them and continued down the hall, and Leya exhaled once she was out of earshot. As intimidating as Odin was, Frigga was clearly his equal, if not even more powerful.

"I had better get to the training grounds, I promised I'd practice with Hogun today. Would you like to join us?" Sif asked Leya.

Leya shook her head. "I think I'll pass for now, but thank you for the offer. I'll see you later," Leya told her. Sif nodded, and the two women parted.

It wasn't until Leya had been walking for a good fifteen minutes longer that she realized what Frigga had said: her son had spoken highly of Leya, but

 _Which son?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

For a while, Leya wandered aimlessly through the hallways, until she found a passage that seemed to lead far underground beneath the palace. Curious, Leya followed the passage. Eventually, the passage opened out into a hallway, and on either side of the hallway were. . . people. Leya suddenly realized they were prison cells. _This must be the palace dungeon._ But the cells did not have any apparent bars or locks, or even doors. Curious, Leya gently poked the front of an empty cell area. Leya felt a sting, like a shock of electricity, and some kind of web was momentarily visible covering the front of the cell from the ceiling to the floor. _It's some kind of force field technology?_

Leya continued walking, occasionally glancing at the prisoners as she passed. Most of them looked bored, sitting or standing against the walls. Suddenly, Leya stopped dead in her tracks as she glanced into cell on her right.

 _Of course._

There was Loki, sitting with his feet propped up on a stool, calmly turning the page of a book. His cell was by far the best furnished, complete with a bed, table, chairs, and even a bookshelf. He was dressed well, too, not in dirty, ragged clothing like the other prisoners. _Well, he is the king's son,_ Leya supposed.

Loki looked up, saw Leya, and immediately stood. He came as close to the force-field barrier as he could without touching it.

"Hello, Raven," Loki spoke casually, as if they ran into each other every day.

Leya couldn't speak. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry.

"Hello," she said, trying to sound firm, but it came out more like a croaked whisper. Leya cleared her throat.

"Hello," she said again, stronger this time.

They stood staring at each other. Loki broke the silence first.

"After all this time, I must admit I never expected to see you here on Asgard," Loki said, casually, pacing slightly to the right.

Leya let out a half-laugh, "I never thought I would either, but here I am. So tell me, why is it once again you, me, and a see-through prison cell?" Leya's joke was a weak one.

"I suppose history tends to repeat itself," Loki replied, the ghost of a smile dancing across his lips.

"Yes, I suppose it does," Leya replied softly back. Leya shifted. She glanced at the floor, then back up at Loki.

"It's – it's good to see you, Loki," Leya's voice was barely a whisper. The air seemed very thin, as if it might break.

"It is good to see you as well, my dear," Loki replied, his low voice maintaining the delicate atmosphere, but he seemed to frown slightly. _Concerned?_

"Well, I guess, I should go," Leya suddenly wanted to leave, quickly.

"All right," Loki said, his eyes still narrowed. Leya paused, looking at him for another minute, then abruptly turned and walked away from his cell.

Leya didn't stop until she'd reached her room. She stepped inside and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it and breathing hard. Leya sat down on the bed, burying her face in her hands.

 _Three years, three years! Seems like such a long time, to me at least, perhaps not to him. Of course I missed him, how could I not? Well, it's not as if this is the first time something like this has happened. . ._

Leya had known he would be here, where else would he be? But somehow, knowing exactly _where_ he was made him feel more real. He'd been something of a specter for the past three years, but now he was here, in person, once again in the same building as Leya. His proximity was intoxicating.

 _Gah! Why does he have such an effect on you?!_ Leya scolded herself. _Because –_

A rap on the door startled Leya out of her thoughts. Leya opened it to find a young girl – she couldn't have been much older than thirteen – holding a pile of clothes. The girl immediately curtsied deeply.

"Oh, please, don't do that," Leya spoke gently. The girl looked up and, seeing that Leya was genuine, straightened.

"Fresh clothes for you," the girl said. Leya let her enter, and the girl set the clothes down on the bed.

"Thank you, and what's your name?" Leya asked.

"Wyvern, ma'am, Cara Wyvern" the girl replied.

 _Wyvern. . . oh my gosh._

"You. . . aren't related to Thom – Thomas – Wyvern by any chance?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yes ma'am, he's my cousin," Cara smiled, "You know him?"

"I," Leya gave a quick smile, tilting her head, "Yes. He. . . is one of my good friends. How is he?"

"He's doing fine," Cara replied, "In fact, he's on Asgard here, visiting family. Staying at a rather dumpy inn, if you ask me."

"Oh," Leya paused a moment, then, "Where is he staying?"

"At the Dove's Inn, in the middle of the city," Cara replied, hesitated, seeming to realize she'd let her manners slip, then said, "If you please, ma'am, I need to return to work."

"Of course," Leya said, "Thank you."

Cara almost curtsied again, but caught herself and exited the room.

Distracted but not quite ready to act on any stray thought, Leya turned to the clothes and sorted through them. There were four garments: a dark green velvet dress with delicate golden embroidery on the sleeves, a fiery red-and-black dress, a simple, short-sleeved grey dress made out of some light material, and a black tunic with leggings. Leya smiled. _Thor must have put in a word for this one,_ she thought as she changed into the tunic and leggings, by far the most comfortable option. As she took off her boots, Leya realized her dagger was still inside her boot. Leya took it out, re-laced her boots, then slipped the dagger back in, checking to make sure it was secure. Leya looked around the room and found a bathroom, which was nearly as large as the bedroom, with marble floors and gleaming gold faucets on the sink and shower. Leya splashed her face with cold water, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, then went back and sat on the bed.

 _What now. . ._

Just then, someone else knocked on the door. Leya opened it to find Thor standing in the hallway.

"The medics released Jane for now, she's in the room next to yours. Would you like to see her?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Leya replied. She walked with Thor to the next room over. Thor knocked, and Jane opened the door.

Jane smiled when she saw Thor, and Leya could read the unspoken message passing between the two as clear as day. It's true, when they say people glow, or shine or whatever, when they're near someone they love. Jane and Thor lit up brilliantly around each other. Leya wasn't jealous, she wasn't that kind of person, but it made her wonder if she'd ever looked like that.

Jane let Leya into her room, and Thor left them together, saying he would come back to bring them to dinner. Jane shut the door behind Leya.

"How are you?" Leya asked her. They sat down in two little chairs.

"I'm all right, I guess. The medics said I could just go about normally for now, although I'm not entirely sure what normal is around here. This place is so. . . huge and grand," Jane said.

Her voice carried the same kind of awestruck overtone that Leya felt.

"Well, we'll stay here as long as we need to until we figure out how we're going to get the aether out of you," Leya told her.

Jane smiled at Leya, "Thank you. You've been such a wonderful friend to me, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Of course I came, how could I let you go through this alone?" Leya replied. _Well, I suppose she does have Thor. . ._

Leya paused a moment, then asked, "Jane, how do you feel about Thor?"

Jane looked surprised at the question, and it took her a moment to answer, "I. . . I guess I don't really know. I mean, he's basically a god, who lives on another planet. . . but I can't say I don't care about him, that I don't have feelings for him. I just. . . don't know if I can let myself fall for him. I don't know how I'd deal with it."

Leya was silent, pondering how Jane's thoughts echoed her own.

Jane hesitated a moment, then gently asked, "Leya, what's going on between you and Loki?"

 _Oh god, where to begin with that question?_

Leya took a breath, "I – I'm not sure."

Jane gave her a hard look, not nearly satisfied with her response, but seeing that Leya wasn't about to spill her heart and soul on the topic, she didn't press the matter. "All right. But please, promise you'll tell me if something's happened."

Leya gave her a quick smile, "I will, thank you."

"Well, I better go, I, um, wanted to go look around the city a bit," Leya added after a minute. She excused herself, then walked out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Of course, that was only a half-lie – she was going into the city, but it wasn't to explore. At the palace gates, she asked the guards how to get to the Dove's Inn, and they pointed her in the right direction. Leya arrived at a dimly-lit, low-roofed building with dusty tables and dirty floors. _For such a whimsical name, this place is the opposite of what you'd hope to find in a fairytale._

Leya approached the front counter where a man whose face seemed to be in a permanent scowl was wiping down some thoroughly smudged beer mugs.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Thomas Wyvern?" Leya said.

The man didn't look up, "I don't divulge the details of paying customers."

"Please, I'm a good friend of his."

The man ignored her. Leya exhaled, exasperated. _Fine._ But just as she turned around to leave, someone came running down the stairs. Leya stopped, smiling slowly. She would recognize those footsteps anywhere, even after all these years. Leya turned around. _Mop of milk-chocolate-brown hair, warm caramel eyes._ The boy – he was really a man now – looked up. He stopped when he saw Leya, shock, then joy, flooding his face.

"Lyra!" the young man's voice was deep and full, but his shout came out as light and happy as a boy's. He went up to Leya and hugged her, nearly crushing her. Leya smiled, inhaling his familiar scent. She realized with a pang how good it felt to hear someone say her name with such warmth again.

He was still the same Thom, but subtle differences showed. Like the fact that he was no longer the awkward, wiry, tech-geek who had overseen – and joined her – on so many missions. He'd filled out, he was quite a bit more muscular than before, and his hands showed callouses from hard manual labor rather than gliding over the delicate controls of a tech panel. He had an older, more mature air, like he'd been toughened not only physically but mentally as well. _Well, he has seen a lot, nearly as much as you have, if not as much! Who knows what's happened since you've been gone._

But some parts never changed, and Thom grinned. _There's that wonderfully bright smile._

"It's so good to see you, Thom," Leya said when he finally let go of her.

"I can't believe you're here," Thom said, still smiling, "What happened to you? Where have you been all this time? And how did you end up on Asgard?"

Leya laughed at his enthusiasm, but then looked around at the dark, disgruntled faces of cumstomers in the room and suggested, "Let's take a walk."

The two exited the dank inn into the warm afternoon sunshine.

"I've been living on Earth," Leya told Thom, "and I came here because a friend of mine needed help. And. . . that's all, actually. But please, let's not talk about me so much. How have you been? And how is everyone else? At home? How is Nidavellir?"

Thom looked at her, he always seemed to know when she wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't press her. Instead, he replied, "I've been great, busier than ever. I came here to visit my cousins, one of whom, Cara, is working at the palace. Nidavellir is doing fine, everyone – Ania, Rylan, Andy, Morse, Cassiopeia, Nat, Mac, and. . . – it – it still isn't quite the same without you." Thom suddenly grew a bit sad. Leya put her hand on his arm.

"I miss you all so much," Leya told him, smiling sadly, noticing he'd carefully avoided mentioning a particular name.

The two shared a brief moment of silence, then Thom explained, "Oh! Of course, I nearly forgot to mention, Nat and Prince Macbeth got married."

Leya's jaw dropped, "What? You mean – she – she and Mac – she's the queen now?!"

"Yes! Isn't it kind of crazy?" Thom replied, his happy mood returning, "Of course, none of us really treat her any differently, and Rylan teases her incessantly about it. She's still just Nat Woods, Earth-girl, to us."

"Wow," Leya said, still processing the news, "I knew she and Macbeth liked each other but. . . wow. And what about Ania? How is she?" Leya pressed him, eager for details about her best friend.

"Ania is doing wonderfully. I. . . actually proposed to her last month," Thom said, blushing.

Leya's eyes widened in surprise, "That's wonderful, Thom!" Leya was indeed glad to hear her two best friends had found happiness together.

"And you? Have you met anyone?" Thom asked tentatively.

Leya paused, then started, "Well," hesitated, then started again, "Well. . . I do have someone I. . . care about. . . let's just say we're still working out the details."

"All right then," Thom said.

The two old friends spent the better part of the afternoon together, talking, sharing, catching up. It felt so strange to be there, on Asgard, in literally another world, and yet so close to her old one with Thom.

Leya told Thom the whole story about her time on Earth, how she'd met Jane and Loki and gotten all mixed up in the Avengers and that mess. Thom's facial expressions had ranged from skeptical to shocked to concerned throughout Leya's tale, and when she was finished, Thom gave her another hug.

"You've been through so much. I only wish I could have been there with you."

"Me too," Leya sighed.

"So, this Loki, is he. . . decent? To you?"

Leya hesitated, "Loki. . . is Loki. He's not like. . . anyone I've had feelings for before. I care about him, probably more than I should. And somewhere in him, I know he cares for me, too."

Thom sighed, "Lyra, I can't tell you what to do. But please be careful. From what you've told me, Loki does not seem trustworthy – "

"You can say that ten more times," Leya muttered.

" – but I know how selfless you are when it comes to people you care about," Thom finished, looking warmly at her, "I don't want you to get hurt like last time."

Leya stopped walking, turning to Thom. "I'm so lucky to have friends who care about me so much. I promise to be careful."  
"I can tell you really care about this prince, don't you," Thom said.

Leya smiled sadly, "I do, unfortunately."  
"Well, I want you to be happy, and if Loki makes you happy, I'm ok with that. And I know you can deal with anything that happens," Thom told her.

"Thank you, Thom."

When they finally needed to part, Thom walked her back to the palace just as the afternoon sun began sinking.

Thom whistled as they walked up to the gates, "Some nice accommodations you've got here."

Leya laughed, "Yea, but everything is just so. . . much! I mean, we didn't exactly live in broom closets at home, but they've put me in this room that half the Assassin's Guild could comfortably fit in.

"Ah, well, don't let the royals get you down,'' Thom jokingly replied. Leya hugged Thom tightly, already feeling sad, already missing him again.

"Take care, Thom. Tell everyone at home," Leya paused, searching for the right words, "Tell them. . . I miss them."

"They know, but I'll tell them anyway. Maybe someday, you'll be able to tell them yourself," Thom replied, a bittersweet smile spreading across his face.

Leya sighed, "I wish. But that was no ordinary exile. That spell – if I set so much as a hair back on Nidavellir, I'll be incinerated."

"I know, but, well, me and some of my friends have been working on this thing, kind of a spell-counteracting-project. It's still in its baby stages, and we still haven't developed a stable version, but maybe someday," Thom told her.

At Thom's statement, Leya filled with a heady, hopeful feeling in spite of herself. _I could go home. . ._ But she shook it off, simply saying, "Maybe." Leya glanced toward the palace entrance and saw Thor standing at the gate, watching her.

"I better go. Goodbye, Thom!" Leya started heading toward Thor, looking back once to see Thom wave. Leya waved back, then turned around and followed Thor inside the palace.

Thor didn't ask who Thom was, for which Leya was grateful. She was mired in too many emotions to explain, and anyway, they reached Jane's room in too short of a time to say much of anything.

"Tonight," Thor told Jane and Leya once they were all in Jane's room, "is the Midsummer Ball, one of Asgard's major festivals, and quite an occasion. I'm sorry for the short notice, but, well, more important matters have been pressing. But I must attend, I am the King's son and heir to the throne of Asgard, and I would very much like you to attend with me." Thor looked at Jane, his expression hopeful.

Surprised, Jane was speechless for a moment, then agreed, "Yes, of course! We'd love to go."

"Splendid," Thor's face broke into a wide grin, "You have a little over an hour to get ready. I'll come back then." Thor exited the room, still smiling. Leya could feel his excitement. _He can finally take Jane on a 'date,'_ Leya smiled to herself.

Then she turned to Jane, "How do you think we're supposed to dress?"

Jane shook her head, "I not entirely sure, but I think we'd probably better wear nice dresses. . ."

 _Ugh, dresses,_ Leya thought to herself, but she agreed with Jane and wanted to make a good impression. The two women parted to get ready.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello! Bit of a shorter chapter this week, hope you enjoy though :)_

 **Chapter 6**

A little less than an hour later, Leya emerged from her room wearing the red-and black dress the girl, Cara, had delivered earlier. It somehow fit her perfectly, and she liked the dress very much, but felt a little silly since she only had her beat-up black boots for shoes. Luckily, the dress was long enough to cover most of them, which also let Leya keep her dagger in her boot, just in case. After fiddling with her hair for about ten minutes, Leya gave up and just brushed it.

Leya knocked on Jane's door, and Jane opened it promptly.

"Oh, you look gorgeous," Leya said. Jane was wearing a floaty, pale-blue dress embroidered in gold with gauzy sleeves. She had her hair elegantly braided along the side of her head.

Jane smiled, "Thanks. Would you like me to – ?" Jane gestured at Leya's hair, which she realized was already sticking up a bit in the back.

"Oh! Um, sure, all right," Leya replied. Jane let her into her room and Leya sat down in front of a mirror.

"You have lovely hair," Jane commented.

"Thanks," Leya replied. She'd never really put much thought into it, but she supposed she had nice hair. She never had enough patience to style it or anything, though. Her go-to was either a ponytail or simple braid.

Several minutes later, Jane said, "All finished." Leya looked in the mirror and gasped. Jane had somehow managed to work about half of Leya's unruly hair into an elegant braided crown, something fit for a queen, with the rest settled pristinely down her back. Leya tilted her head, feeling more regal than she'd ever thought possible.

"Thank you," Leya murmured.  
"You're welcome," Jane replied, smiling.

Just then, Thor arrived, and his eyes lit up when he saw Jane.

"You ladies look lovely," he said. He kissed Jane's hand, which made her smile and blush just a little bit, then the three headed to the dining hall.

During the walk, Leya kept fiddling with her dress. Adjusting the shoulders, pulling at the sleeves, smoothing the skirt. _Jeez, what has gotten into you? It's just dinner! With Thor and Jane. And the King and Queen of Asgard. And probably more than fifty other nobles. On their most important holiday of the year. Wow, way to reassure yourself._

Jane glanced at her, noticing Leya's apprehension.

"Hey," Jane said, giving her a smile, "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Leya gave her a weak smile back and looked at Thor, who was just a little ahead of them. He'd seemed strangely distant when he'd come to get them, and he still looked a bit lost in his own thoughts.

Jane picked up on it, too, and jokingly asked, "What's wrong, afraid I'll make a bad impression on your parents?"

Thor gave an absent smile and said, "No, not worried about that at all," but his tone suggested that something else _was_ worrying him.

The trio walked through the grandiose hallways and passages of the palace until they finally arrived at two large doors with guards posted outside. Being the person she was, Leya still felt a bit apprehensive around guards. Leya was, of course, here as a guest rather than breaking in on a mission with Thom, but she couldn't help but feel a brief spark of surprise when neither guard stopped her. The two guards bowed deeply to Thor before opening the doors to the dining room.

The banquet hall was very brightly lit, and Leya and Jane stopped when the doors initially opened, temporarily blinded by the brilliance. As Leya's eyesight returned, she blinked and took in the room. Around the long, rectangular table were quite a lot of people, and most of them stood and bowed as Thor entered, Jane and Leya following after him. Leya scanned the people, then saw someone at the far end of the table, next to the Queen, who very nearly made her heart stop.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _Loki._

What was he doing here? Leya stood frozen, but her mind was racing. She didn't have time to ponder much, though, because the next thing she knew was Thor gripping her forearm and leading her toward the end of the table where the King and Queen sat, to none other than the seat directly across from Loki. Loki gave a sly smile, mock-bowing at the waist as Leya lowered herself into her seat. Leya did not smile back. Jane took the seat next to Leya, leaving Leya between Jane and Odin, and Thor took his seat next to Loki, putting Loki between himself and Frigga. All the other nobles sat down, then, and the festivities got under way.

The meal alone was a huge affair, with several courses spread out over hours. The food was wonderful and delicious, but Leya's appetite had slowly disappeared. She spent most of the meal pushing her food around her plate and carefully avoiding looking across the table. But she couldn't help glancing at Loki occasionally and found he didn't seem to take his eyes off her once. Every so often, Thor or Frigga would say something to Loki and he would turn away briefly, or Jane would say something to her, but Leya was still tense throughout the entire meal. Having Odin on her left side didn't help at all, either. The stoic king never looked directly at her, much less spoke to her, yet she could swear his sharp eyes – er, _eye,_ rather – didn't miss a blink.

Once dinner was finally over, the entire entourage moved into an adjoining ballroom. Leya thought she might be able to escape briefly, but Jane begged Leya to stay with her.

"You can't leave me alone with all these fancy people," Jane half-pleaded, half-joked.

The two girls sat down on a bench at the edge of the ballroom, hoping to have a breath from interaction with the nobles, but Thor soon walked over to them, Loki accompanying. Leya immediately stood and grabbed Thor's arm, dragging him, or at least directed him, out of Jane and Loki's earshot.

"What is Loki doing here?" Leya hissed.

Thor sighed. "It was my mother's idea. Loki is very close to Frigga, and I'm assuming Loki told her about you. She suggested to my father that Loki ought to be allowed to attend our most important festival, but I think it was because she knew you'd be here. Mother has a soft spot for Loki. I did not like the idea, but evidently my father wasn't in the mood to argue with her, so now Loki is here," he told her.

Leya opened her mouth, then closed it again. _He cares that much that he'd tell his mother about me? That she'd agree to let him out just to see me?_

Aloud, Leya sighed, "All right. Well, I suppose there's nothing we can really do about it now, is there." She turned to go back to Jane, but Thor stopped her.

"Leya, I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Be careful with Loki," he warned, "He's my brother, but I care about you, too."

Leya nodded, "I know." Then she and Thor walked back to Jane and Loki, who looked very uncomfortable standing next to each other.

Thor looked at Leya, then at Loki, then offered Jane his arm, who took it.

"We'll give you two some space," Thor said. He and Jane walked away.

 _Thanks a lot,_ Leya thought. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her jangling nerves as she turned to look at Loki, fully look at him for the first time that night. Loki looked as sleek and regal as ever dressed in black, gold, and dark-green. It took Leya a moment to realize her heart was pounding. _What is wrong with you?_

"So. You're out of your cell," Leya spoke after a minute, sounding rather cooler than she'd intended.

"Yes. For the moment," Loki dropped his eyes, "Odin must have decided I have nowhere – and no one – to run away to." A silence settled between them.

 _Are you sure about that?_

Then Loki said, "I hear you have been running around with some of the local boys."

 _What? Oh, Thor saw me and Thom, he must have told him._ _Wait. . . why would he. . ._

Suddenly, Leya smiled. She could have laughed. _Is Loki jealous?_ Of course he'd never admit it, and maybe he wasn't, but it was a funny concept. _Loki, jealous! Hah!_

Leya shook her head, trying her best not to grin like an idiot, "Thor told you about my afternoon walk? Well yes, I did meet up with someone, it's just a history thing. . . long story. Thom, he's an old friend from home, and we were catching up, seeing as we haven't seen each other in nearly a decade. But anyway, it was none of Thor's business to tell you when he didn't know the whole story," Leya half-grumbled.

Loki still wasn't smiling, but Leya could see he was relaxing a bit. She briefly thought of James, of how she could never have opened up to him. _Maybe Loki and I are both doomed to be that way._

"Oh Loki, do you really think I would –?" she asked, letting the rest of the sentence fill itself in.

Loki's voice dropped low so as not to draw attention to their conversation. He leaned toward her, his lips close to ear "Of course not, my dear. You're mine," the statement was soft, escaping his lips like a breath. Leya shivered, his voice carrying something. . . something menacing, yet also irresistibly enticing. _And he's back to being himself._

Suddenly, the opening notes of music sounded from the other side of the ballroom. Leya looked in that general direction and located a small group of musicians starting to play. A waltz, or one of those fancy ballroom dances.

"Would you care to dance with me?" Loki asked abruptly. Leya turned to look at him, wondering at the strange, 180-degree turns his personality was doing tonight. Half the night he was giving her that infuriatingly seductive smile, the next moment jealous for some ridiculous reason, then bizarrely possessive, and now asking her to dance? But of course. . . was she really going to say no?

Leya considered Loki for a minute, and somehow, she suddenly felt as if she were seeing him for the first time, as if all the past they'd gone through ceased to exist. In that moment, he wasn't the frustrating enigma or the tortured psychopath, but he wasn't the broken prince either. He looked in-his-element and, well, almost perfect. Lit up with the light of the room, the buzzing excitement of the party, Leya felt some kind of dizzy hope, some grasp on a possibility of being together, with Loki. Maybe that kind of wayward thinking was what drove her to let her guard down and accept.

"Yes," she replied, "Yes, I would very much like that. But, I can't dance a step of anything to save my life." _Why do you sound like such a little girl?!_

Loki smiled then, a smile that seemed genuine. He held out his hand, "It's all right, Raven. Just follow my lead." Heart fluttering rapidly, Leya took Loki's hand. He led her out onto the dance floor. Leya saw Jane and Thor already dancing amidst the other nobles.

Loki took Leya's hand and placed it on his shoulder. He put his other hand gently on her waist, and Leya shivered involuntarily. Loki grinned, to which Leya rolled her eyes, but good-naturedly. Perhaps there was something. . . magical about the night, as she danced with Loki, even though Leya felt as if she were barely breathing. When the song ended, Loki didn't drop his arms around her.

Instead, he leaned close and whispered, "I want to show you something." Leya nodded, not questioning, still caught up in the strange atmosphere of the evening. She didn't even worry about where they were going, didn't notice Odin signaling two guards to follow them as she walked with Loki out of the ballroom.


	8. Chapter 8

_I meant to post this earlier, I promise! But it's the end of senior year and everything was crazy. . . anyway, here it is! I'll try to post the next one sooner. Thanks for reading_

 **Chapter 8**

Loki brought Leya to the top of a small, grassy hill just outside the palace grounds. Loki sat down, and Leya took a seat next to him looking up at the sky. The night was clear, cool, and still, and the stars looked larger and brighter than Leya had ever seen them.

"I used to come here a lot, before. It helped to be alone, to hear myself think," Loki told her.

"It's beautiful," Leya murmured.

"Almost as beautiful you," Loki murmured back.

Leya blushed, momentarily catching Loki's earnest gaze. Leya quickly looked away, back up at the sky. Somehow, _that_ Loki, that raw, honest, and vulnerable Loki, scared her more than when he had his guard up. _How does someone get so fucked up that they feel more comfortable with destructive people than normal ones?_ Maybe it was because the more dangerous Loki was, the more justified Leya was in protecting herself against falling for him. Or maybe it was because she could feel herself falling and knew that the kind of raw passion that Loki masked so well could be even more dangerous than his outer façade.

At the sight of a shooting star, Leya stood abruptly. Loki rose next to her, and Leya could feel the heat of his arm less than an inch away from hers.

"Make a wish," Leya said jokingly, trying to calm her pounding heart. Loki closed his eyes and slowly took a deep breath. Leya snuck a glance at him, looking at Loki with his eyes closed, starlight illuminating his face. When Loki opened his eyes again, Leya opened her mouth to say something, but Loki brought his finger to her lips, silencing her.

Leya pressed her lips together, slightly exasperated, but Loki said, "Just give me this moment."

Gently, Loki pulled her close. Leya wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Loki leaned down and kissed her. The two of them stood there together, the brilliant night sky twinkling above them.

Leya shut her eyes and, for the first time in a long time, let herself feel completely safe. Loki was always dancing the thin line between sanity and madness, between calm and chaos, and Leya was equally fascinated and terrified of him. Of course she couldn't trust him. Of course she couldn't see this going anywhere but tragic. But right now, she felt safe in Loki's arms. Right now, she felt as if she had finally come home.

Suddenly, they heard an explosion from the direction of the palace, and the pair immediately broke apart. Leya saw flames and rubble shoot up in the distance.

"We're under attack! Raise the alarm!" someone, probably a guard, shouted in the distance.

Suddenly, two guards emerged from the shadows and grabbed Loki.

"Loki!" Leya shouted. She started toward him, but Loki shook his head.

"No, you must go to the palace. Find Thor and Jane, you'll be safe there with them. Be careful, Raven," Loki shouted back as the guards dragged him away.

Fighting an alarming wave of panic, Leya wavered for a moment, caught between her desire to go after Loki and her need to find Jane. But she saw the look in Loki's eyes, that raw honesty once again, and so she turned and left.

Leya ran back to the palace. The palace grounds were a chaotic mess with buildings on fire, columns crumbling, dust and rubble and explosions and people running everywhere, screaming, shouting, fleeing for their lives. Leya fought through the crowds, not completely knowing where she was going, but she eventually arrived back at the ballroom. A crowd of people were still inside sheltering. Leya craned her head over them and was relieved to locate Thor and Jane weaving their way out of the crowd. Leya ran to them.

"Where did you go?" Jane demanded.

Leya shook her head, "That's not important right now. What's going on?" she asked Thor.

"The Dark Elves – they must have found some way to Asgard – have attacked. We must stop them. I must fight but you – Leya, Jane – you must stay safe. Come with me, you can stay with my mother, Frigga. She is in her and my father's chambers, I'll bring you to her," Thor told the two women.

"No!" Leya objected, indignant, "I want to help fight. I've had experience with. . . Svartalfheim before."

Thor shook his head, "Not this time, Leya. Stay with Jane, go with my mother. Please, I don't ask because I wish to insult you, I know you are fully capable, but this time I need you and Jane both to stay safe."

Leya opened her mouth, but seeing the expression on Thor's face, decided not to object. She and Jane followed Thor out of the ballroom.

As the trio ran through the hallways, Leya realized they were in the same hallway as the guest rooms they'd been staying in. Leya looked down at her dress, then grabbed Thor's arm. Thor turned, and Leya gestured to her clothing, then at the rooms. Thor hesitated a moment, then nodded. Jane and Leya quickly ducked into their rooms. Leya hurriedly changed into her own clothes from Earth, then rejoined Jane and Thor back out in the hall, Jane also having changed. Then the three continued running.

They arrived at the royal chambers, and Thor opened the door, ushering Jane and Leya in where Frigga stood to meet them, holding a sword.

"Stay safe," Thor said pointedly, then left. Frigga shut and barred the door behind him. Leya glanced at Jane, who looked rather scared and was still staring at the doorway where Thor had just left through.

"Hey, don't worry," Leya said, offering a reassuring smile, "He'll be fine."

Jane gave a nod and tight smile in reply.

The three women heard a boom from the doorway on the other side of the room. The door rattled, despite the bar across it. Frigga gripped her sword, motioning for Jane and Leya to hide. But Leya pulled the dagger out of her boot, holding it ready. _Not much, but thank goodness I decided to bring this thing_ she thought to herself just as the doors crashed inward. As the dust cleared, none other than Malekith, the Accursed, King of the Dark Elves, emerged through the doorway.


	9. Chapter 9

_Promises, promises… :) Here's the next chapter!_

 **Chapter 9**

"Give me the girl," Malekith demanded. _What girl? Oh. . . the aether. . . Jane._

Frigga shook her head firmly, "No."

Malekith's lips curled in a snarl, showing pointed teeth. "Then you will die, too," he snarled.

Frigga ran toward Malekith, brandishing her sword, but Malekith used his powers to fling her violently across the room where she crashed into the wall with a hard thud and fell to the floor.

"Frigga!" Leya cried out, praying that Jane would stay put out of sight.

Malekith whirled to face Leya, who gripped her dagger tightly. The two circled each other, then Leya darted at Malekith. She swiped at him, but Malekith blocked her. Leya braced herself to be thrown, but instead, Malekith merely shoved her backward a few feet, making her stumble. Leya looked up to see amusement gleaming on Malekith's face.

"Oh, I don't think I'll kill you just yet. No, you're quite entertaining, let's have a bit of fun first, shall we?" he teased, cruel laughter in his eyes. But just then, another Dark Elf appeared in the doorway, and Malekith turned.

Leya took the opportunity to sprint at Malekith, but he was too fast. The Dark Elf King whipped around and caught Leya's arm as she drove her dagger toward his throat. The tip of the blade was trembling only centimeters away from his neck. _If I could just get a little closer._ But Malekith must have decided he couldn't hold Leya off, or didn't have time, or something, because he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Leya to fall against the ground. Breathing hard, Leya struggled to her feet and glanced at Jane. She was fine, crouched behind a pillar. The two of them hurried to Frigga. Leya supported her head while Jane held her hands. Frigga was breathing hard and clearly didn't have much longer.

"Jane," Frigga breathed, wincing in pain as she spoke, "I want you to know. . . I think you are more than worthy of Thor. You are good for him, and he is lucky to have you."

Leya could see tears collecting in Jane's eyes.

"Thank you," Jane spoke softly. Then Frigga turned to Leya.

"Leya, I do not know you very well. But I see the way you are with Loki, he has," here she gasped in pain, and Jane tried to soothe her, but Frigga insisted on finishing her sentence, "Loki has said much about you. He has never spoken – or felt – about anyone the way he does about you, whether he ever admits it or not. I know it. You make him better, but he is still so torn inside. He needs you, even though he will never ask for help. Please, take care of him."

Leya's throat was dry. All she could manage was a whispered, "I will, I promise." Frigga relaxed, then, and the two women held her as the life went out of her body.

When Thor returned, Jane rose to meet him.

"Thor, I – I'm so sorry," Jane said, her voice thick with emotion. Thor rushed to Frigga's body.

"Mother," he whispered, suddenly sounding like a little boy. He held her for a long time, then picked her body up and lay her down on the bed. Thor stood by the bed for a long moment, then up at Leya and Jane.

"I'm sorry, Malekith got away," Leya told him.

"It wasn't your fault. Thank you, both of you, for being with her," Thor told them. Leya bowed her head, and Jane stepped forward to embrace him. To give them some privacy and to clear her own head, Leya stepped out of the room, leaving the couple alone.

Outside the palace, the battle was over. The grand buildings were smoking as the last fires extinguished, and rubble was strewn across the majestic squares, but it was over. The first few rays of early morning sun were just peeking out over the treetops, bathing the battlements in a golden glow. Leya breathed in the fresh, cold air. As she stood and looked out over the crumbling city, she was suddenly aware of someone coming up behind her. Leya whirled around, dagger held up, then nearly dropped it when she saw who it was.

"I – I'm sorry, sir," Leya stuttered, quickly bowing before the imposing figure of King Odin.

"No need, it is more likely I who should be apologizing. Rise, Master Raven," Odin said. His voice was gruff, but not threatening. Yet his use of her name and title made her freeze inside.

 _He knows who I am, too! Did Loki tell him? Or. . ._

Leya straightened, then stuck her dagger back in her boot. "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" she asked.

"I wanted to speak with you about a particular person. Loki," Odin replied.

Leya stiffened. _Does he want me gone?_

"I am. . . aware of your. . . situation with Loki, and although he is not my blood son, I do care about him. However, I am not as close to him as my wife, and as such, I do not share her weakness for Loki. You see, Loki's end was supposed to be simple: prison, for life. I wasn't expecting a factor such as yourself to enter the picture. But it seems you have inextricably woven your way into his life. So, I give you a warning: if you prove to be _too_ attached to him, if you ever aid him in any deed against Asgard, I will not hesitate to end the both of you."

Odin never raised his voice, but his threat hung heavily in the air, so much that Leya thought she could almost see it, feel it taking up space.

Inside, her nerves were screeching, but she held herself together and replied coolly, "Of course sir. You won't have to worry." Odin gave her a hard stare, then abruptly looked up, turned, and walked away.

Leya watched him leave. _No wonder Loki has family issues_. . . she thought, then reprimanded herself. _Don't say that. It's just because Odin is a king, he has the entire kingdom to worry about. Look at Thor, he's such a good friend, and Frigga, she gave you her blessing._ But something inside her nagged at her, telling her to be wary of King Odin. Still a bit shaken, Leya decided her best choice would be to find Jane and Thor again, so she headed back inside the palace.

Leya found Jane back in her guest room. She immediately rose to greet her.

"Where's Thor?" Leya asked.

"We're coming up with a plan, but right now he went to go check on things. He'll be back soon," Jane replied. The two women sat together in silence for a good twenty minutes. Neither felt inclined to speak much. Thor finally arrived, a grim expression on his face.

"What's happening?" Leya asked.

"My father wants us to wait, to bide our time, then attack Malekith. But I know the only way he will stand down is when he has the aether. So, we should go to Svartalfheim, we lure him there, and have him pull the aether out of Jane. Then I destroy it," Thor stated.  
Leya raised her eyebrows. _Risky, borderline reckless. Though I suppose that's to be expected of Thor_. "Are you sure your hammer can destroy the aether?" she asked.

Thor hesitated, then, "It's worth a try, and it's the only chance we've got. I'm going to go find Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif. You two stay here, and rest, you'll need your energy. I'll come back to get you when it's time."

Leya didn't much like the plan, but survivors can't be picky, and she couldn't think of any better ideas, so she agreed. Jane embraced Thor, then he left. The two women sank back into their troubled silence, waiting once again.

 _I hate waiting,_ Leya thought to herself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It seemed to take forever for Thor to return, but perhaps that was just because Leya had nothing to do. Jane looked worried, and Leya tried to think of something comforting to say, but she couldn't find the right words. So Leya stayed silent and started pacing while Jane sat wringing her hands.

When Thor finally did return, Jane stood so quickly the chair fell over. Both women approached Thor, who motioned for them to come with him. The two followed him out the door.  
"Where are we going?" Leya demanded.

Thor replied, "We're meeting Sif and the others at transport dock."

The trio hurried through the hallways until they arrived in a large, open walkway crowned by arches that had, surprisingly, remained intact. Next to one of the columns, Leya saw Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral, Lady Sif, and. . . _Loki_. _He's fine, he's safe._ Leya's relief overwhelmed her, and she broke into a run. The entire group turned to watch her as her footfalls echoed on the stones. Suddenly feeling awkward, Leya came to an abrupt halt just as she reached Loki.

"What happened to you?" she asked breathlessly. She kept her eyes locked on his face, feeling almost as if she might lose him again if she lost sight of him.

"It would seem that Odin wanted to make sure I didn't try to escape during the chaos," Loki paused, "He had stuck me back in my cell, until dear brother here was kind enough to sneak me out. Although he needs me, he clearly doesn't trust me." Loki held up his hands, which were in handcuffs of some sort, then turned and gave Thor a sardonic smile, who frowned at him. _Well, would you really expect anyone to trust you?_

"Only because we need you to get to Svartalfheim" Thor said sternly.

Leya forced herself to tear her eyes away from Loki and instead looked at Sif and the warriors three. She had to admit, none of them looked particularly happy about Loki's presence. _Well, you don't necessarily trust him either, now do you?_

The group started toward the transport dock, but they must have been spotted, because they heard a shout behind them. They turned to see a crowd of soldiers coming at them.

"Thor, go. Take Jane, Loki, and Leya. We'll hold them off," Sif drew her double-bladed sword.

Thor hesitated, and Sif glanced back at him "Go!" she shouted.

Thor gestured for Leya and Jane to get onto a ship. Jane turned and ran, but Leya hesitated, wondering if she should stay behind and help Sif and the warriors.

"Sif – " she began, but was cut off as Thor yelled "Run!" Loki turned and put his hand on Leya's arm, gently pushing her backward.

"Leya, you need to come with us," Loki said gently. Leya reluctantly turned and ran with Loki after Jane, Thor close behind them.

Leya and Jane got onto a speeder-boat type flying ship and immediately began flipping the controls on.

"Have you ever flown one of these things?" Jane asked.

"Uh," Leya said, fiddling with a knob that made a red light start beeping and flashing, "No. But I can certainly try." _What I'd give to have Thom with me right now._

Of course, Thom wasn't there, and it was Loki who appeared next to her. "No need for that," he muttered, and he and Thor took over the controls. They pulled out of the transport dock, and Leya looked down at Sif and the warriors three, hoping they would be all right. When she turned back, Thor had given Loki control of steering.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Thor asked as they narrowly avoided scraping a giant stone statue.

"Yes, Thor, please do stop nagging," Loki replied condescendingly.

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed abruptly. Leya looked up and saw they were heading toward a giant, very solid-looking cliff.

"Just trust me, Thor!" Loki snapped back.

"I don't trust you!" Thor shouted back. Loki ignored the comment and accelerated.

Leya heard a gasp and a thud behind her. She turned to see Jane slumped on the floor. Thor turned as well, and Leya knelt to check on her.

"She's just unconscious for now, but hurry!" Leya said. Loki accelerated even more.

Now, Leya could see what looked like a small crack in the cliff. _Is that where we're heading?!_ Loki seemed to read her thoughts.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it," Loki muttered, flashing a grim smile as he guided the little ship. Thor and Leya held their breath as they rapidly approached the cliff. Suddenly, with a whooshing noise, they blasted through the cliff and out the other side. Except it wasn't just the other side of the cliff; it was the dark, desolate dunes of Svartalfheim.

"Ta-daa," Loki sang as he gently landed the speeder boat. Thor and Leya couldn't help but roll their eyes. The group disembarked, Thor carrying Jane, who was gradually regaining consciousness.

But they hadn't gotten more than a few yards when Malekith and the Dark Elves appeared a few dunes away. The group abruptly stopped, Leya pulling out her dagger and Thor setting Jane down, who was well enough to stand on her own at that point. Thor looked at Loki.

"Ready?" Thor asked.

 _Ready for what?_ Confused, Leya looked to Loki.

Loki held out his bound hands, and Thor looked down at them.

 _Wait, what's happening?_

"You still don't trust me, Brother?" Loki asked. Thor eyed him skeptically and removed the cuffs. Loki rubbed his wrists, "And my dagger?" Thor sighed, then reluctantly pulled out Loki's dagger and handed it to him.

"Wonderful," Loki stated, a smile coming to his face. He glanced at Leya, who apparently wasn't hiding her confusion very well.

"Don't worry," Loki said, emphasizing the two words.

 _Is that supposed to be reassuring?_

Loki turned back to Thor, "Now then." He suddenly lashed out, hitting Thor hard in the stomach and sending him flying forward.

"Thor!" Jane cried out.

"Loki!" Leya shouted at the same time. The two women glanced at each other with a mixture of exasperation and shock.

Loki ran after Thor and kicked him before Thor could rise. Then Loki pulled out his dagger and sliced Thor's hand off. Jane screamed. She turned to Leya, her expression pleading.

 _Everyone seems to think Loki actually listens to me. . . that's not true – I don't think – but if it makes them feel better. . ._ Leya ran to Loki, jumping to grab his dagger arm, but she was too short. _Why do you have to be so tall?!_ She managed to grab Loki's arm and pulled, hoping to throw him off balance, but he shook her off like a butterfly, sending her crashing backward.

 _Ow,_ Leya thought as she slammed against the stony ground. She tried to stand, but her head felt dizzy, and her right ankle was throbbing. Leya looked up to see Loki looking back at her, something like concern, or an apology, written on his face before he turned back to Thor.

At that point, Malekith and the Dark Elves had reached them. Loki grabbed Jane's arm, pulling her up and holding his dagger at her throat. _Loki!_ Leya was incredulous. _This is why no one trusts you. . ._

"What is this?" Malekith demanded.

"A bargain. I give you the girl, and all I ask for in return is a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn," Loki replied.

"That is all?" Malekith hissed.

Loki gave a terse nod, and after a tense moment, Malekith dipped his own head in agreement. Loki released Jane, shoving her toward Malekith. Jane whirled to face Loki.

"Thor trusted you! And you betrayed him," she spat at him. Leya thought she saw remorse flash across Loki's features, but perhaps it was a trick of the light. _Or my head,_ which was still throbbing.

Malekith raised his hand and suddenly Jane was in the air. She struggled, but Malekith's hold was firm. He began pulling the aether out of her. Jane was forced upward, limbs splayed wide, head back and mouth open as the black-red substance flowed out of her.

"Now, Loki!" Leya's head whipped around as she heard Thor shout. Loki turned and shot a blast of green light at Thor. Immediately, Thor's cut-off hand was restored, and his hammer soared back into his grasp. Thor harnessed his power and directed it all at the aether just as the last remnants of it left Jane, who collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Leya crawled over to Jane, checking that she was still breathing.

Thor's lightning collided with the aether, and a spectacular explosion lit up the dull landscape. For a minute, Leya thought their fool plan might actually work. But then the lightning dissipated, and the aether returned to its original master, Malekith, who welcomed it with open arms.

Thor's face fell, and even Loki frowned as Malekith absorbed the aether. As soon as the last bits of aether disappeared into him, Malekith's gaze shot straight to Thor, and he started after him. Thor readied his hammer, but fueled by the aether, Malekith was too fast. With a swipe of his hand, Malekith tossed Thor like a stuffed animal across the grey dunes. Loki started after him, but immediately, the other Dark Elves sprang into action around him and Leya. Loki attempted to block Leya, but she struggled to her feet even as her ankle burned in pain. Leya limped up next to Loki.

"You're a jerk for not telling me your brilliant plan, but if we're going to die now," Leya said, wincing in pain, "I'd rather we die together."

Loki held her gaze for a moment, a strange mixture of mirth, affection, and solemnity flitting across his face. He nodded, "Together."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Loki and Leya fought desperately – the Dark Elves were vicious and strong, and as soon as they felled one, another appeared to take its place. Leya strained to see over the Dark Elves, locating Thor in the distance. He was weakening, struggling against Malekith, and he didn't look like he could hold out much longer.

"We need to get to Thor," Leya gasped, out of breath.

Loki looked over at Thor, "I know."

The two raced over to him, battling the elves out of the way. Thor saw them, and his gaze flicked briefly to Jane. Since she was still unconscious, it seemed the Dark Elves had ignored her, which Leya was thankful for. Thor turned his attention back to Malekith while Loki and Leya refocused on the horde of Dark Elves closing in around them.

"Look out!" Loki shouted, shoving Leya out of the way as a Dark Elf leaped for her. Loki struck the elf in the chest with enough force that he was thrown backward onto a sharp, protruding piece of an upturned tree trunk. The elf thrashed in pain, glaring at Leya and Loki.

Leya exhaled, but her relief abruptly turned into horrified shock as the impaled Dark Elf leaned forward with a snarl, yanking Loki toward, him, stabbing Loki through the abdomen.

Leya must have screamed, but she couldn't hear anything except the blood pounding in her ears. All she could see was Loki, Loki as he shoved the Dark Elf away from him, Loki as he turned to look at Leya with an unsure expression. Leya ran to Loki as he fell, just managing to catch him. Jane must have come to at some point while they were fighting, because she suddenly appeared as a blurred figure in the corner of Leya's vision. Thor, too, ran to them, momentarily escaping Malekith's blows.

Leya knelt on the ground, Loki resting in her lap, cradling his head in her arms. cradling Loki's head.

"No, no, Loki," Leya pleaded softly.

Loki gazed at her, still and silent even though Leya knew he must be in excruciating pain. Loki's eyes never left Leya's face as he slowly reached up and wiped away tears Leya hadn't realized were on her cheeks.

"Hush, love, don't cry," Loki whispered. His mouth twisted in an attempt to give her one last irresistible smile.

Leya stroked Loki's face as his eyes closed and his breathing slowed.

"Don't leave me," Leya whispered, her voice barely audible. But Loki was still and motionless, the life gone from his body.

Suddenly, Loki's body disappeared. Alarmed, Leya frantically looked around, then looked up at Thor.

"What – what happened? Bring him back, bring him back!" she cried, her voice breaking. Jane quickly went up to Leya and embraced her, trying to steady her.

"Shh, Leya you need to calm down," Jane tried to quiet her. But Leya was beyond soothing.

"No! Where is he!" Leya shouted, fighting Jane's grasp.

Jane let go, perhaps out of fear of what Leya might do, and instead Thor went up to Leya and wrapped his arms around her to restrain her. Leya could not break out of Thor's iron grip, but that didn't stop her from trying. Leya shouted, kicking and punching, but of course Thor held her firm. Leya eventually gave up. Perhaps out of the combination of mental and physical exhaustion, Leya collapsed.

When Leya came to, Thor was carrying her. They were in a large cave, dark, moldy, and dripping. Thor noticed she was awake set her down gently.

"What happened?" Leya rasped, her throat dry.

"You fainted," Jane replied, concern on her face.

 _I never faint,_ Leya thought. _Well,_ _I suppose there's a first for everything._

"Where are we?" Leya asked.

"We're investigating, I picked up a signal on my cell phone in here, for some weird reason," Jane told her. Now Leya noticed Jane was holding her phone out in front of her. Suddenly, Bach's Double Concerto rang out, echoing loudly off the cave walls and making all three of them jump. Jane looked confusedly at her phone, but then Leya felt a buzzing in her pocket and realized it was her phone ringing. Surprised, she pulled it out and answered, putting it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Leya? It's James."

 _James!_

"James!? Uh, hi!" Leya replied, caught off guard, "How. . . are you calling me? Where are you?"

"I'm. . . in my flat, drinking coffee," James replied, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I just didn't expect to have service here. . . " Leya said, attempting to sound nonchalant. She paced around, trying to figure out where the signal was best.

"Okay. Well, um, I was wondering if you have any free time this weekend. I found this great little restaurant –"

Leya stopped listening as she abruptly fell through the ground in a spot in the cave. She let out a yell as she whooshed downward. Leya hit the ground hard, clutching the phone.

"– so what do you think?" James finished, apparently oblivious to the noise coming from her end.

"Um. . ." Leya tried to think of a coherent response as she scrambled to her feet. She could've laughed. She didn't even know where she'd be next weekend. "Listen, I'm sorry James, but this isn't a great time to chat, I'll call you back sometime?" Leya offered.

"Oh, all right. No worries!" James replied, sounding a bit disappointed. Leya felt guilty, "Ok. Bye." She hung up just as Jane and Thor landed on the ground next to her.

"Ow," Jane grumbled, "Where are we?"

"I think we're back on Earth. Actually, yes. We're back in London," Leya said, slowly recognizing her surroundings. _How the hell?_

"Well, what do we do now?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The trio, tired and beat up, decided to go to Jane's lab, where they found Erik and Ian working. Erik took one look at Jane, Leya, and Thor, and immediately told Ian to make coffee.

"What happened?" Erik asked, guiding Jane to a chair.

"Long story short – the aether, this substance, it was inside of me. We tried to destroy it, but Malekith got it, then we fell through a hole in space," Jane told him.

Thor was frowning, half-lost in his own thoughts, and Leya stood expressionless. Erik looked at the three of them, confusion and concern etched on his face.

"All right. Well, I have been doing research since you left, and I figured out a part of what's happening. The Convergence of the nine realms – very rare event – is going to happen, tomorrow at noon, and the Convergence point is going to be in Greenwich," Erik told them, gesturing at a blackboard thoroughly covered in scribbled calculations. Fighting her exhaustion, Leya walked over to the board and studied it. Sure enough, the nine realms would be lining up at the time Erik had calculated.

"What exactly will Convergence entail?" Jane asked, her interest overcoming her tiredness.

"Strange occurrences – some of which have already been happening. Remember the abandoned storage house? Places where physics don't behave, gravity doesn't exist, random portals opening up in space between the realms," Erik elaborated.

 _That must be what we fell through_.

Thor suddenly leaned forward, "That's it! Malekith means to use the Convergence – and the aether – to destroy. . . the universe." The four of them fell silent for a moment, letting the weight of his conclusion sink in. At that point, Ian returned with steaming mugs of coffee, which they accepted gratefully.

"Wait," Leya began, leaning closer to squint at one of Erik's scribbles on the board, "I think there's a way to stop it. The Convergence, it's basically just energy, right? That's what the Bifrost is too, just wavelengths, because we could pick it up on the waver. The Convergence will do essentially the same thing, the portals will just open more randomly. But if we can set up the equipment correctly, we can disrupt the wavelengths and force them to a specific frequency, opening a specific portal to get rid of Malekith."

Everyone stared at Leya, long enough that she began to get a bit nervous. "Did I say something rude?" she joked.

Jane shook her head, smiling, "This is why I hired you in the first place. You're freaking brilliant, Leya."

Leya blushed. "Thanks," she muttered, then cleared her throat. "So, plan?" she asked.

"Well, I think I know where we'll be tomorrow at noon," Jane said.

Thor nodded, "Yes. I can hold Malekith off long enough for you to get the equipment set up, then I can lure him to the correct location."

"Let's try to be quick, then," Jane said, "and not do anything stupid." Jane gave Thor a worried look. 

"Don't worry," Thor replied, as if reading Jane's mind.

"Well then, we'd better get some rest," Erik piped up.

The group decided it would be best for everyone to stay at least in pairs in case Malekith got a hankering for a surprise visit, so Thor volunteered to accompany Leya back to her flat to grab a few things.

Leya pulled open her refrigerator to discover all the food was expired. _Wow, we were gone for months!_ She quickly sorted through and tossed out the things that had gone bad.

Thor hung out in her kitchen while Leya went into her bedroom. She pulled off her torn, dirty clothes, showered, and changed into clean clothes. Leya splashed cold water on her face, retied her ponytail, then stuck her dagger back in her boot. Leya hesitated a moment, then opened the safe in her closet and pulled out her bow. _I'll pick up a quiver of arrows at the lab,_ she thought, remembering that they kept an emergency weapons storage bin there. When she came out, she stopped short, seeing Thor holding a well-worn book in his hands. _The Great Gatsby_ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He had the first page open, and Leya knew what was written on it.

 _I heard you like books, so I thought I'd give you this one. Perhaps we can discuss it on our next date. I hope you enjoy it! – James_

Leya promptly snatched the book out of Thor's hands, snapping it shut and sticking it into her bookshelf.

"Leya," Thor's voice held a patient tone.

"What?!" Leya asked, feeling oddly defensive.

"That looks like a well-read book. And I just want to know, what are you doing? With 'James'? With Loki?" Thor asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Leya snapped.

"Just because he's a psychopath doesn't mean I don't care about my brother. And I care if the one person he cares about is carrying on with someone else," Thor said sternly.

Leya almost glared at him, "You, Thor Son of Odin, may be the heir to the Asgardian throne, but you don't have a clue about people, do you? And you have no right to accuse me. Here's what's going on: The first time, I thought Loki died, falling off the Rainbow Bridge. Then I found out he was alive. Then you took him back up to Asgard to be sentenced to life in prison, and I thought he was gone for real, I thought I'd truly never see him again. So, I moved on, because that's what people do. It's what you have to do when you let your heart get broken by an immortal prince who lives in literally another world. It was three years, and you can only hang onto the past for so long." Leya finished, trembling.

After a couple breaths, she calmed down. More gently, Leya told him, "Thor, no one will ever come close to Loki. But I know we could never be. . . we couldn't be together. Not physically, and not emotionally. We'd destroy each other, because that's the kind of people we are. The only reason I keep the book out is because I really like the story, and I've read it at least five times in the past month. Not because of the person who gave it to me, but because it reminds me of Loki. All those grey areas, it reminds me of him." Leya finished, and Thor was silent for a while.

He finally nodded, "I'm sorry, and you are right, it isn't my business, and I should have known better, about you. I overreacted, I suppose I've been a bit strung out for the past while."

"Haven't we all," Leya agreed grimly, "Come on, let's get back to the lab before they start worrying."


End file.
